


Old Rivalries

by Ysabel (Mystical_Isabel)



Series: The *real* karate kid [3]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystical_Isabel/pseuds/Ysabel
Summary: Daniel still couldn't believe he was here; popular, alpha-male, king karate Johnny Lawrence!Or: The encounter between Johnny and Daniel at LaRusso Auto from Daniel's perspective.
Series: The *real* karate kid [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064705
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Old Rivalries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amymone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amymone/gifts).



> Thanks Amy for your amazing comments! 💜

Daniel was on his desk looking at some forms when Anoush walked into his office.

"Hey, Daniel." 

"Anoush, hey! Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, fine!" Anoush smiled. "There's a family outside. New customers."

"Oh right, I'm supposed to greet them personally. Thanks!"

"Yep." Anoush nodded and signaled to the customers waiting outside. 

Yes, he could see them sitting down on the side couch. He brushed a hand over his blazer, to make sure it was clean and headed out of his office.

He paused, eyes landing on a strangely familiar man with blonde hair, his back turned towards him, wearing a gray hoodie. But he could've recognized that silhouette anywhere. His heart did a little flop of excitement.

"Johnny?" he called out before he lost his nerve.

The guy turned around.

Daniel recognized him even through the little wrinkles and washed down clothes. Without giving himself time to hesitate, he advanced towards Johnny, grinning.

"Johnny Lawrence, I-" I'm really glad to see you, he almost said. "I knew it was you!" he finished, instead. On impulse, he reached towards the blonde, giving him a hug. Johnny seemed tired, but Daniel was too hyped to really mind.

"How the hell are you?" He noticed Johnny's lack of reaction, and broke the contact after one more pat on the back.

"Hey, man," Johnny replied. Daniel couldn't believe he was here, _Johnny Lawrence_! He had looked up to him so much in school, despite all the shit that they'd gone through, constantly wishing things could have been different between them.

"Oh my God, look at you! You've still got those golden locks, ey?" He gazed at Johnny's tufts of hair, maybe a little shorter but still looking as smooth as silk.

Johnny nodded in response. God, Daniel still couldn't process him being there, in his dealership. He realized with suddenness that he'd been staring for a beat too long.

"God, this is crazy. How'd you– how you been?"

"Great man, thanks, I've been great."

"That's great!" He just _had_ to talk about this with someone, share his excitement. 

"Hey, hey, Anoush! Come here! Louie, get over here!" He called his two friends (well, cousin and friend). "I want you to meet someone," he told them. Johnny was shaking his head, which amused Daniel. Was popular, alpha male, king karate Johnny Lawrence shy?

"No, no, I gotta go." Johnny moved away, but Daniel was quicker.

"No, no, no." He grabbed the low part of Johnny's open hoodie to keep him from getting away. It gave him a rush of power and a small sense of payback.

"This is Johnny Lawrence," he continued, once Anoush and Louie reached them, standing on either side of Daniel between him and Johnny.

"He and I go way back. Isn't that right, buddy?" He smiled, hoping to get a reaction from Johnny, expecting him to laugh it off, hoping he would apologize. Instead he was met with silence. Once Daniel had started, though, he couldn't stop. While he didn't _blame_ Johnny, it was still cathartic to get this stuff off his chest.

"This guy used to be the toughest dude in my high school. When I first moved here from Jersey, he and I… got into it a little bit."

Nothing. Did Johnny really not remember or care? Anoush and Louie were looking at him with blank faces. He decided to go one step farther, really hoping for an explanation, something that was way overdue. 

"This guy really had it in for me."

"Well, you did move in on my girl," Johnny countered. Daniel hadn't expected Johnny to find a counterargument, much less that one.

He tried to laugh it off, but was feeling defensive.

"Well, she actually wasn't your girl anymore, was she?" it had been weeks since the breakup, after all, and from the way Ali had phrased it, Johnny was a real jerk to her and to others he didn't like. Though then he remembered the way Ali had broken up with _him_ and he guessed he could empathize.

"I- I mean-" He bit his lip. Maybe weeks hadn't been enough time for the sting to fade. He realized Johnny didn't seem comfortable with the topic anyway, which really threw Daniel off.

"Well," he metaphorically waved the matter off with his hand. "It's all water under the bridge now."

Johnny seemed to deflate, calming down. Good, Daniel had really not meant to start anything.

"Wait," Anoush chimed in and Daniel blinked. He'd somehow forgotten the guys were around; another reason not to start anything. "Is this the karate guy? The guy from the tournament?"

Daniel was delighted. Yes, Anoush remembered the story! He waved at the taller man in front of him, emphasizing, mouth spreading in a grin.

"Oh, this is the guy who's ass you kicked?" Louie added.

Holding off a laugh, Daniel pretended to think about it. "Well, it was a really close match, but, if you want to get technical, I kicked his face!"

The three of them chuckled. It was a funny story! He caught Johnny's glare and stopped.

"I'm just busting your chops!" he reassured, patting his shoulder.

"It was an illegal kick," was the reply. Daniel's eyes widened. Was this dude for real?

"Illegal, really? What about that elbow to my knee?" He pointed out the irony. Besides, Johnny had handed him his trophy and said he was all right! Where was this coming from?

"Yeah, I got a warning you got the win." Johnny stepped forward and Daniel tensed. He didn't _want_ to fight, but he was ready to defend himself if it came to that.

However, Anoush separated them before anything else could happen, thanks God.

"Hey, no fighting in the showroom, guys!"

Johnny's icy blue eyes remained on Daniel, but he did calm down. Well, time to end this.

"All right, get back to work." He addressed Louie and Anoush. The latter complied after a last "Nice meeting you!" but Louie held his ground. "Really, back to work," he repeated, meeting his cousin's eyes, letting him know it was fine for him to leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Daniel and Johnny are funny together. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you want the whole scene, check my Striking Back! fic. That one is from Johnny's perspective, but Daniel deserves his side of things to be told, too, here. :)


End file.
